Mel Gibson Won’t Face Criminal Charges For Altercation With Photographer
Mel Gibson will not be criminally charged over an altercation with a photographer who claims Gibson assaulted and verbally abused her, People is reporting.
On August 24, Gibson and his girlfriend, Rosalind Ross, were exiting a Sydney restaurant when Daily Telegraph photographer Kristi Miller snapped some photos of the couple. She claimed that afterwards, Gibson assaulted her.
“I took a photo of Mel and his girlfriend and when I turned around he shoved my back really hard. It shocked me because I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t know if it was his hands or elbow. I thought he was going to punch me in the face.”
She further claims that Gibson proceeded to verbally assault her with an “obscene, obscenity-laden rant.”
“He was spitting in my face as he was yelling at me, calling me a dog, saying I’m not even a human being and I will go to hell. He swore and called me a c**t. It was non-stop, he didn’t even breathe.”
I don’t want sympathy says Mel Gibson photographer but his behaviour is appalling. http://t.co/y3uKwKxFxj pic.twitter.com/3EPDvs7wNl
— The Daily Telegraph (@dailytelegraph) August 24, 2015
Gibson, who has a history of erratic behavior in public — including a now-infamous 2006 infamous DUI arrest where he went on an offensive tirade against Jews — claimed that the photographer “disrespected” him and “invaded” his personal space; however, he denied that he assaulted her, verbally or physically.
On Thursday, Sydney police announced that they had concluded their investigation of the incident, speaking to witnesses and reviewing nearby security camera footage, and concluded there was no evidence to support Miller’s claims that Gibson had assaulted her. In a statement via USA Today, a Sydney police spokesperson confirmed that no criminal action would be taken against Gibson.
“At this stage, based on the evidence gathered, no formal action will be taken.”
Gibson’s attorney, Christopher Murphy, also issued a statement, stating that Gibson has been vindicated by Sydney police.
“Police have completed a thorough investigation of allegations made by a Sydney photographer and have concluded there is no evidence to substantiate any charge against my client Mel Gibson. [Gibson] totally denied from the onset that these disgraceful allegations were true. He is now satisfied that the police, after speaking to witnesses and reviewing CCTV footage and other evidence, have found there is no substance to the claim. The story is a complete fabrication of the truth.”
Mel Gibson is currently in Australia, working on his next project, the World War II historical drama Hacksaw Ridge.
[Image courtesy of: Getty Images/Kevin Winter]
